Simple daily curiosity-led habits that make your team more creative and collaborative

Most teams want to be more creative. In a rapidly changing world, creativity means more innovative ideas and greater adaptability, the kind of thinking that actually moves things forward. They want better ideas in meetings, more energy in collaboration, and solutions that go beyond the obvious. However, in the rush of running a business, creativity is often the first thing to get squeezed out.

The good news is, you don't need a team away day or a budget for new tools. Small, repeatable habits can lead to real change, and you/your team can start implementing them tomorrow. The ones that work best all have one thing in common: they build curiosity.

The evidence is compelling. Research shows that companies whose employees demonstrate higher levels of curiosity are 30% more likely to be innovative and to successfully navigate change (Harvard Business Review). They are also more able to understand each other’s ideas, which improves communication and reduces group conflict.

Here are five simple habits to help you build that culture from the inside out:

1. Start meetings with one curious question

Before diving into the agenda, ask a question that has nothing to do with the task at hand. It could be as simple as: “What’s something you’ve noticed this week that surprised you?” or “What’s a problem in our industry that nobody seems to be talking about?”

This is a warm-up for the brain. It shifts people out of task mode and into thinking mode, which means you’ll get better contributions for the rest of the meeting. Even two minutes of this can change the quality of what follows.

2. Make “What are we assuming?” a regular question

When your team is working on a problem or a plan, build in a moment to ask: “What are we taking for granted here?” Most teams skip this step, and that’s where costly blind spots come from.

You don’t need a complicated process. Just pause, ask the question out loud, and write the answers down. You’ll often find that one of those assumptions, once named, is worth questioning, and that the conversation that follows could produce your best thinking.

3. Borrow ideas from outside your industry

Creativity thrives on unexpected connections. Once a week or fortnight, try spending ten minutes as a team looking at how a completely different industry handles a challenge you’re facing. How does a hospital manage handovers? How does a theatre company brief its team before a show? How does a hotel create consistency across locations?

You’re not looking to copy, you’re looking for the spark of an idea that you can adapt. This habit builds the kind of lateral thinking that makes teams genuinely innovative, rather than just recycling the same approaches.

4. Create space to think out loud

Collaboration suffers when people only share ideas they’re already confident in. Encourage your team to share half-formed thoughts, early hunches, and questions they don’t have answers to yet. A simple prompt like “I’m not sure about this, but…” can open up conversations that a polished presentation never would.

You can build this habit by modelling it yourself. When you share an unfinished idea and it’s received well, your team will start doing the same, and that’s where real collaboration begins.

5. End the week with a quick reflection

A five minute end of week check-in (in person, on a group chat, or even just a shared document) can transform how a team learns and improves. Ask two questions: “What worked well this week?” and “What’s one thing we could do differently?”

This habit builds a culture of honest, low-stakes reflection. Over time, teams that reflect regularly get better faster. Not because they’re working harder, but because they’re learning from what they’re already doing.

Small habits, big difference

None of these habits require a budget, a new tool, or a restructure. They just require a bit of intention and consistency. The teams that are most creative and collaborative aren’t always the ones with the most talent, they’re the ones with the best (and most curious) habits.

Start with one. Try it for two weeks. Notice what changes.

Miia Forbes is the founder of Curious Agenda CIC. They run practical curiosity training for individuals and teams, with all profits reinvested into community and youth projects and outreach initiatives in East Sussex. Find out more at www.curiositytraining.co.uk and www.curiousagenda.co.uk

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk